It might be fat-free and seemingly made up of nothing more than liquid, but wine, as well as spirits and beer, adds kilojoules to your daily intake.

"You’d be amazed at how many clients I see who eat like a bird but drink like a fish and wonder why they can’t lose weight," says dietitian Tara Diversi.

REDUCE YOUR INTAKE

Use a tall, thin glass: Not only do people unintentionally and consistently pour as much as 30 per cent more alcohol into short, squat glasses, we also mistakenly believe we’re getting a bigger 'serve' when we drink out of a tall, thin glass, which can trick the brain into drinking less.

Pick a reduced-alcohol drink: The majority of kilojoules in most alcoholic beverages come from the alcohol content, rather than any carbohydrates, which can make choosing a low-carb drink no
better for your weight.

Need proof? While the kilojoule content of low-carb and regular beers with the same alcohol content can vary by less than 60kJ, a low-alcohol beer can contain 150 fewer kilojoules. And a 150ml glass of low-alcohol wine can contain 110 fewer kilojoules than normal-strength wine.

DRINKING TWO LARGE 225ML GLASSES OF WHITE WINE (1318 KILOJOULES) IS ROUGHLY THE SAME AS EATING: